The metabolism of [14C]nicotine in the cat

Abstract

The metabolism of [2′−14C]nicotine given as an intravenous injection in small doses to anaesthetized and unanaesthetized cats has been studied. A method is described for the quantitative determination of [14C]nicotine and [14C]cotinine in tissues and body fluids. Nanogram amounts of these compounds have been detected. After a single dose of 40μg. of [14C]nicotine/kg., 55% of the injected radioactivity was excreted in the urine within 24hr., but only 1% of this radioactivity was unchanged nicotine. [14C]Nicotine is metabolized extremely rapidly, [14C]cotinine appearing in the blood within 2·5min. of intravenous injection. [14C]Nicotine accumulates rapidly in the brain and 15min. after injection 90% of the radioactivity still represents [14C]nicotine. Metabolites of [14C]nicotine have been identified in liver and urine extracts. [14C]Nicotine-1′-oxide has been detected in both liver and urine.